Cyclone Ditwah Kills 212 in Sri Lanka, Nearly Million Impacted

Sri Lanka is grappling with the severe impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which has caused massive flooding and landslides across the country since last Thursday.

As of Sunday, the confirmed death toll has climbed to 212 and 218 people are still reported missing. Nearly one million people have been affected by the heavy rains and subsequent flooding. Almost 200,000 people have been forced into 1,275 shelters managed by the Disaster Management Centre. Families, like one in Kelaniya, have been trapped in their homes without adequate food supplies, relying on state agencies and donations for cooked meals, which many feel is insufficient.

Over 24,000 personnel from the police, army, and air force are engaged in rescue operations on the fourth day. Water breached the dam of the Mavil Aru Reservoir in the eastern part of the island. The air force airlifted over 120 people to safety following the breach. An additional 2,000 people were moved to higher ground.

The commercial capital of Colombo is among the worst affected areas, with dozens of families trapped in submerged homes.

Authorities anticipate that power, water, and communications—which were knocked out by the floods sweeping away transmission lines and transformers—will be gradually restored over the next three days.

The Irrigation Department expects the flood waters to gradually recede over the next three days as the cyclone moves towards southern India. The report notes that torrential rains and floods in nearby Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have resulted in a combined death toll of over 600.